U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,432, issued to the present applicant on Jan. 15, 1980, discloses a transparent coin holder comprising two semicylindrical open-faced receptacles formed from a transparent plastic material. The semicylindrical receptacles are interconnected along a common edge parallel to a longitudinal axis of the semicylindrical receptacles. Semicircular end walls are provided at opposite ends of each receptacle. The semicylindrical receptacles are hinged toward one another in order to form a cylindrical cavity of a predetermined length so as to receive therein a predetermined number of coins. An outer surface of a first one of the semicylindrical receptacles has protrusions thereon, whereas a flap hinged to an outer edge of a second one of the semicylindrical receptacles has indentations that will be in register with the protrusions by hinging the flap over the first one of the semicylindrical receptacles when the semicylindrical receptacles are opposed to receive coins therebetween. Accordingly, the protrusions and the indentations matingly engage with one another thereby securing the semicylindrical receptacles with one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,275, issued on Sep. 28, 1999 to the present applicant discloses a container made of a moldable plastic sheet. The container comprises three semicylindrical receptacles, each defining two compartments. Each of the semicylindrical receptacles has semicircular end faces at ends thereof. A first one of the semicylindrical receptacles, preferably the middle one, is adapted to receive therein coins. The two compartments of the middle semicylindrical receptacle separate the coins into two portions. Once coins are positioned in the first semicylindrical receptacle, a second one of the semicylindrical receptacles is hinged towards the middle semicylindrical receptacle to form a cylindrical cavity wherein the coins will be in captive engagement. The third one of the semicylindrical receptacles is hinged toward the cylindrical receptacle holding the coins so as to engage a detachable engagement therewith, via mating connectors on the semicircular ends thereof.
In designing reusable containers for coins or tokens, a plurality of factors must be taken into account. One such factor is the lack of consistency in the thickness of the tokens or coins for which the containers are designed. Coins of a same type and value are struck according to thickness tolerances. For this reason, a reusable container receiving a plurality of coins struck at the upper end of the thickness tolerance will most likely be too short for such coins. Older coins can also be thinner because of the wear and tear they have sustained over time. Another factor resides in that countries may change thickness standards for their coins, whereby some newer coins may be thicker or thinner than older coins. Also, some countries have changed monetary systems, and this may cause other problems. For instance, most of the countries forming the European community have now decided to use the euro. The euro coins are struck in a few countries and a lack of thickness consistency has been reported. For these reasons, the number of coins in the reusable containers can often be off by a few units.
Some types of coin containers are designed to be reused. However, the mating connectors that ensure the integrity of the closed coin-packed containers lose their effectiveness over time. More precisely, the male portions of the connectors lose their structural integrity and shape over time, and therefore do not provide as much friction to the female portions of the connectors. On the other hand, the female portions become too large over time, such that the male portions are loose therein. Accordingly, after a few uses, the mating connectors are not as effective as they initially were. Therefore, after a few uses, the containers must either be secured with a further adhesive, e.g., adhesive tape, or discarded.
Also, the reusable containers are not known to resist shock too well. As the reusable containers show a smooth, cylindrical outer surface, when they are subjected to a shock, the coins in the reusable containers have a tendency to be ejected out of the containers.